


The Biologist & the Engineer

by hotchoco195



Series: Second Chances [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Baby!Nat, Birthdays, Brian Banner's A+ Parenting, F/M, First Day of School, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Nightmares, PTSD, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Past Child Abuse, Thanksgiving, and caring, baby!Bruce, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-10
Packaged: 2018-04-30 03:49:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5149172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotchoco195/pseuds/hotchoco195
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's one thing for Tony to adopt his science bro (for real this time). It's another to actually live up to that promise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My apologies to Barbara Walters

Tony walked into the penthouse and clapped his hands, looking around. “Well, this is it. _Mi casa es su casa_ , buddy.”

Bruce looked at him uncertainly, pushing his glasses up his nose. “It’s so…fancy.”

Pepper crouched next to him, rearranging a misbehaving dark curl. “That’s just Tony. He likes everything to be new. If it makes you uncomfortable we can redecorate your room however you like, sweetie.”

“No, it’s nice.” The boy said quickly.

Tony cleared his throat, twitching his hands. He found himself as anxious to impress Bruce as he had been when they’d first met, which was stupid. Not only did the adult Bruce Banner not care about wealth or gadgets, but from what he’d heard children were far easier to impress.

“Do you wanna play somethin’?” he asked, “I’ve got every gaming console known to man.”

“Maybe Bruce wants to put his things away first?” Pepper asked, “Take a tour, get himself settled in?”

“Right!” Tony bounced on his heels, “Tour. Let’s do that. This is the lounge, obviously, and the dining table. Kitchen’s through there. My workshop’s downstairs, and the lab’s under that. We might have to discuss a couple of safety rules, like no messin’ around in there without me supervising.”

“I won’t touch your things, Mr Stark.” The boy said quickly.

“No, you’re allowed to touch, you just need to do it when there’s a grown-up nearby in case of an accident. Dum-E’s not that reliable with the fire extinguisher.”

Bruce didn’t look any more relaxed, and Tony threw Pepper a helpless look. She smiled.

“I’ll show you the spare bedrooms and you can decide which one you want, okay?”

She offered her hand and the boy looked at it warily for a second before taking it, the pair heading for the stairs. Tony rubbed a knuckle against his forehead. He needed a drink.

Except that was bad, wasn’t it? You weren’t supposed to drink in front of kids, at least not as often as Tony did. It set a bad example, or affected their social development or something. Tony wasn’t sure – he hadn’t done the appropriate research. Pepper would know, he’d check with her. He remembered his own dad always seemed to have a scotch in his hand when he was at home, which was rarely. Tony might not know what good parenting entailed, but he was pretty confident the first rule should be to do the opposite of what Howard had done.

“Goddamn wizards with their goddamn spells, making everything so goddamn complicated.” He sighed, eyeing his bar longingly as he followed the others.

 

He found Pepper and Bruce in the room at the end of the floor with the best view of Central Park. It was two doors down from the main bedroom and had its own ensuite, a small built-in robe and a comfortable reading area with an armchair and a bookshelf. Bruce was standing by the window looking down at the other towers while Pepper unpacked his suitcase.

“Good choice, buddy. Is there anything you wanna change? I can have painters here tomorrow, or we can get some new furniture or linens or art or-”

Pepper cut him off with a meaningful quirk of her brow, and Tony slammed his lips together, hands twitching behind him. He had to remember not to overwhelm Bruce with his babbling.

“No thank you, Mr Stark. I like it the way it is. You don’t need to go to any trouble.” Bruce said quietly.

“It’s not trouble, Bruce. You’re part of the family now. Whatever you want, just ask.”

He looked like he wasn’t sure how to process that. Pepper put the last of his shirts in the drawer and slid an arm around Tony’s waist.

“Are you hungry? It’s almost dinner time. You could help me order something.”

“I don’t mind – whatever you want is fine.”

“Well I’m not sure, so you can help me pick. Let’s go look at the menus.”

She offered a hand that Bruce took reluctantly, the two of them heading out. Tony trailed along feeling like an idiot. He should be helping, but he didn’t know how. Bruce had always been _his_ friend, but he couldn’t talk to him like he had before, and he had no idea what to say to children. The inventor sat forlornly at the kitchen island while Pepper pulled out the binder of local delivery places and went through it with Bruce.

“What’s your favourite food?” she asked, flicking through the pages.

“I don’t know. My mum makes – made - a really nice casserole.”

“Hmm, we might be able to work with that. Tony, why don’t you and Bruce make something to drink while Jarvis phones it in?”

“Right!” he barrelled off the stool, “What’ll it be, kid? We can do milkshakes or ice cream floats or hot cocoa or juice or tea, if you’re into that – are kids into that? What about smoothies? That’s more of a breakfast thing though.”

Bruce looked completely baffled, blinking up at Tony. “Um, I don’t mind, Mr Stark.”

“Let’s do juice,” Tony opened the fridge, grabbing the ingredients, “Juice goes with everything.”

Like the contents of his bar, but they were off-limits until after Bruce’s bedtime.

 

The two of them got to work, Tony handling the slicing while Bruce fed everything into the machine, and it was sort of fun, like collaborating in his workshop. He decided he should say that.

“This is just like the old days,” Tony smiled, “You and me, working as a team, solving problems, getting shi-tuff done.”

The boy frowned, hesitating as he grabbed an empty glass. “I’m sorry I don’t remember that.”

“Hey, no big deal. We’ve got years and years to hang out and brainstorm. I’m gonna teach you all about Jarvis and the suits and the robots. It’ll be great.”

“I…I’d like that,” Bruce turned the glass in his grip, “I liked watching you with the doctors at the manor.”

“Yeah? Biology’s not really my area, and magic’s way over my head. Wait til you see what I’m actually good at.”

They finished the juice and Tony carried the jug while Bruce followed with three glasses clumsily balanced in his hands. He managed to slide two onto the table without incident, but the third wobbled precariously.

“Here, let me help.” Tony reached out, not quick enough to stop it smashing on the floor.

Bruce froze, glass shards littering the wood in a circle around his feet. Tony cursed mildly.

“Did it cut you?”

Bruce shook his head, not meeting Tony’s eye.

“Don’t move, okay? I’ll clean up.”

He leaned closer to pick up one particularly big piece and Bruce flinched away, turning his body as he raised a shoulder. The inventor stopped.

“You sure you’re okay, buddy?”

“I-I-I didn’t mean to break it,” he stammered, “I’m sorry, Mr Stark. I wasn’t careful enough. I can clean it up, you just have to tell me where the broom is-”

He grabbed the boy by the shoulders, gut twisting as Bruce trembled against the contact, and quickly let him go again. “Look, Bruce, it was an accident. It’s fine. I’m glad you weren’t hurt, and I’m gonna fix it. You’re not in trouble.”

“It won’t happen again, sir.”

Tony was completely out of his depth, staring as Bruce gnawed at his bottom lip, trying to make himself as small as possible. The genius felt sad, and furious at whoever taught his friend to feel like this, and lost.

“Pep?”

The redhead came out of the kitchen and gasped. “You guys alright?”

“We’re fine, just a little mishap. You wanna keep Bruce company while I get the vacuum?”

“Of course.”

 

Tony didn’t hang around; he bolted down the hall, where no one would see if he stopped to punch his pillow for a minute. By the time he returned, calmer and wielding a Dustbuster, Pepper had lifted Bruce clear of the danger and the pair were sitting on the couch watching old Bugs Bunny cartoons. Tony cleaned up and got a new glass, pouring juice for all three of them. He took a big sip, smacking his lips.

“Mmm, great juice, buddy!”

Bruce ducked his head, hands fidgeting in his lap, and the genius frowned. Pepper gave him a sympathetic look.

“Dinner should be here in a minute; I’ll set the table. Tony can keep my seat warm.”

He swapped with her, shifting his weight uncomfortably as he glanced at Bruce, but the boy wouldn’t return the gaze.

“How’s the show?”

“Good.”

“Who’s winning, Elmer or the rabbit?”

“Bugs Bunny always wins.” He said, expression slightly more animated.

“That can’t be true – I’m sure Daffy beats him at least once.”

Bruce’s smile faded. “My mistake, sir.”

Tony wished he could shake Bruce out of it, but that was exactly what the boy expected and feared. He couldn’t stand to see him be so submissive and self-effacing, but how was he supposed to change that attitude? He didn’t even know where to start, and he was worried telling Bruce his behaviour was wrong was the opposite of helpful. He was ramping up to attempt a poorly-worded response when the elevator opened and Happy walked in holding their dinner.

“Alright!” Tony clapped loudly, “Who’s hungry?”

 

They ate in mostly silence. Pepper tried to keep the conversation going, but between Bruce’s polite succinct replies and Tony’s aimless blathering, it was a wasted effort. The boy ate everything on his plate though, which was reassuring, and when they’d finished he volunteered to tidy up.

“It’s okay, I’ll take care of it,” Tony stood, “It’s your first night. You should relax or explore or something.”

“How about a board game?” Pepper asked.

Bruce looked between them, confused. “Mama usually puts me to bed after dinner so I don’t disturb Dad.”

“Well you’re not disturbing us. If you don’t feel like a game, we could put a movie on, or more cartoons? Is there anything you’d like to do?”

“I...I’m tired.”

Pepper smiled warmly. “Okay, honey. Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed then. Would you rather I help you with the shower, or Tony?”

The inventor tried to copy her smile as Bruce glanced between them.

“You, if that’s okay?” he said, barely above a whisper.

“That’s fine. Tony can come tuck you in later.” She stood, offering him her hand.

“See you in a bit, bud!” he added brightly, stacking the plates to carry them into the kitchen.

The pair disappeared upstairs, and Tony finished clearing away the mess. He looked at his bar with a grimace, and decided he’d put up with enough for one night. He angrily lined up a bunch of bottles on the benchtop, sloshing around the ice and the bar equipment as he threw together a martini and tossed the whole thing back in one go. He poured a second for himself and one for Pepper, loading hers up with olives.

The redhead knocked on the wall at the top of the stairs. “We’re ready for you.”

Tony set his glass down and hurried after her. Bruce was already in bed in his purple pyjamas, hair damp against the pillow. Tony stood next to him awkwardly, smile tight.

“Good night then, buddy. See you in the morning.”

“Sweet dreams, honey.” Pepper leaned down to kiss his head.

Tony thought maybe he was supposed to do that too, but it felt strange and wrong and too intrusive, so he patted Bruce’s shoulder instead and fussed with the blankets a bit before heading for the door. Pepper went to switch the light off and Tony frowned.

“Wait.”

He walked across the room to the dresser, where a plain lamp sat next to a small mirror. Tony turned it on and nodded.

“Better. Sleep well, Bruce.”

 

The inventor hurtled back down the stairs, grabbing his cocktail like a drowning man clutching at a lifeboat. Pepper wasn’t far behind, and he offered her the other glass without comment. She drained it, reaching for the shaker.

“If that kid’s father wasn’t already dead, I’d nuke him into non-existence.” Tony ground out, surprising himself with how badly his hands shook.

“God, I feel so sorry for him.” She closed her eyes with a sigh.

“I have no idea what to do,” the engineer turned to her, “How do we help him? How do we undo that?”

“By being supportive, Tony. By showing him we’d never, ever mistreat him, until he believes it. By surrounding him with good people who he can learn to trust, like Steve and Clint.”

“Should we be doing more?” he scratched his jaw, “I can get the best child psychs in the country. Maybe they’d be able to help.”

Pepper swallowed, tilting her head. “Maybe. But I think we should wait until he’s more comfortable being here and being around us before we start implying he’s broken in some way.”

“Yeah,” Tony sighed, ‘Yeah, I thought that earlier. God Pep, I feel like I’m failing at this and it’s only the first day.”

“I think every parent feels like that.”

“How is it I can break down any appliance you like and put it back together better, but one small kid has me drawin’ a blank?”

“Kids are more complicated than robots or toasters, Tony. And you didn’t exactly have a great parenting role model to show you how it’s done.”

“I’ve got you though. How did I ever survive before you came to work for me?”

She smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Luck.”

“Must have been.”

“We can do this, Tony. Bruce deserves it.”

He kissed her head. “Then we’ll figure it out.”

*****

He decided the only way to tackle this was to treat it like any other subject he needed to master fast. Tony bought every acclaimed parenting manual he could find and shut himself in his workshop, running through the text between generously-sized espressos.

His music stopped abruptly. “Sir, you have an incoming call from Director Fury.”

“I’m busy.”

The director’s voice cut in gruffly. “Stark, we need to talk.”

Tony sighed as loudly as possible. “Does it have to be right now, Nicky? I’m a little busy.”

“It’s about Banner.”

The inventor pursed his lips. “Fine. When?”

“I’ll be at the Tower in two minutes.”

He hung up, Tony tossing aside a book with a disgusted expression. “Thanks for the warning.”

He left the workshop, heading up to the lounge, and paused in front of his bar. Fuck it, Bruce wasn’t around, and he wouldn’t make it through a conversation with Fury without a drink. He was pouring himself a scotch when the elevator opened and the director stepped out, flanked by Hill.

“Nicholas! Always a pleasure.”

“Stark. Isn’t it a little early, even for you?” he arched a brow.

Tony flashed him a brilliant smile. “What can I say? You bring out the best in me.”

Without waiting to be asked, Fury took a seat on the couch. Tony growled under his breath and waltzed over, plopping himself in an armchair with an exaggerated casual air.

“What can I do for you, Nick?”

“First off, we’re got the paperwork you need to push through your adoption of Bruce under the name Robert Stark.” The director offered him an envelope that Tony pointedly ignored.

“Cool, Pep will be thrilled. She loves official things.”

“Second, the tests all confirm Bruce’s body has returned to its five-year-old state, with no trace of the Hulk present in his blood or DNA, and no gamma radiation.”

“Great. Or not great, for you. How are you gonna replace your heaviest hitter?”

“Captain Rogers and I are discussing candidates. Right now I’m more concerned with the potential impact of the Hulk on Banner’s frame of mind.”

“What do you mean? You just said he was gone.”

Hill pursed her lips. “But not forgotten, unfortunately. After New York Hulk is one of the most well-known Avengers. There’s footage of him everywhere, causing various levels of destruction. We’re concerned that when Bruce finds out who he used to be, he’ll experience the feelings of guilt and self-loathing that were present in his adult self.”

 

Tony frowned. He hadn’t really thought about that, since he’d never endorsed Bruce’s pity parties in the past. “We can’t hide it from him. He knows he used to be an Avenger, and he’ll be curious.”

“That’s why we need to frame it in a way he can understand and cope with. We’ve consulted several child psychiatrists and put together a plan.” Hill said.

Tony snapped. “How about telling him the truth, instead of trying to sidestep it while he feels vulnerable and alone?”

Fury made a sour face, leaning forward on his knees. “Bruce’s emotions may no longer be dangerous to the general public, but they can still cause a lot of damage. We need to handle this situation delicately.”

“Then I’ll handle it.”

“Stark-”

“He doesn’t know you, Nick, and he certainly doesn’t have any reason to trust you. If he’s staying with me you’re gonna have to deal with the fact that I get to make the decisions.”

“Will you at least take a look at the suggestions?” Hill held out a manila folder.

Tony didn’t take it, but he folded his arms with a scowl. “I’ll read them, and I’ll consult Pepper, and we’ll figure out how we wanna do it. And we’ll do it fast.”

Fury gave a satisfied nod. “Good. Let us know if you need a referral to a child psych.”

Tony smiled tightly. “Actually Nick, I won’t be calling you for anything. Bruce isn’t an Avenger anymore, so you’ve got no reason to be messin’ around in his life. Or Natasha’s, while we’re at it.”

“There is an ongoing security risk associated with both Bruce and Natasha. As their former commander it would be irresponsible of me not to take an interest.”

The billionaire shrugged. “Stark Tower has some of the best security in the world, plus whatever surveillance you’ve got for me and Stevie, since we’re still on the team. Natasha’s living with an ex-HYDRA hitman and could probably kill a full-grown man without even trying. I think we’ll be okay.”

“And what are you gonna do if someone like Ross figures out who your new son is, and decides to check for themselves if the Hulk is out of play?”

“Let him fucking try. I’ll blast that asshole to kingdom come before I let him get anywhere near Bruce, and I’ll destroy his career while I’m at it. See that’s the difference between you and me, Nicky. If someone like Ross tries anything, you’ll politely convince him to stop with a lot of politics and intimidation. I’ll just blow him up.”

“There’s a reason we can’t murder leaders of the armed forces willy-nilly, Stark. It’s complicated.”

“It’s not, really. Bruce is a Stark now, under my considerable protection. As far as you’re concerned, that’s the end of your involvement with him,” Tony stood, “So good seeing you.”

Fury tried to stare him down but Tony just glowered right back, until finally the director stood and stalked towards the elevator.

Maria gave a tight smile. “We’ll keep you informed if we hear anything.”

“I appreciate it, Commander.”

He watched them until the doors closed behind them, then picked up the folders and retreated to his workshop.

 

“Bruce?”

The boy was sitting on the couch with a crossword book, and he flinched at the sound of Tony’s voice, burying it under a cushion. Tony felt something hot and bitter swell in his throat, but he forced it back until he could manage a smile.

“Mind if I talk to you, buddy?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You don’t have to call me sir, kiddo. Tony’s fine. Can I sit?”

Bruce nodded, blinking owlishly. “Um, what do you wanna talk about?”

“I need to explain some stuff to you about who you were before, and it’s not all fun. Just hear me out, okay? And ask questions, if you have them.”

Tony took a breath. He _really_ wished he wasn’t sober.

“You know that grown-up you was a member of the Avengers?”

Bruce nodded.

“Well the reason you were super enough to make the team was because when you were in college, you tried to replicate the serum that made Steve into a super soldier.”

“Captain Rogers?” the boy frowned.

“Yeah. He was still frozen so you didn’t have all the information you needed, and something went wrong. The experiment changed your insides so that every time you lost control of your emotions, you turned into this huge strong person called the Hulk.”

“The Hulk?” he screwed up his nose.

“Yeah, not the best name ever. Because the Hulk always came out when you were stressed or in danger, it usually meant a lot of stuff got smashed up. Hulk was a great member of the team but he tended to leave a lot of ruined buildings behind.”

“Oh,” Bruce said quietly, “I’m sorry.”

Tony held up a hand. “Hey, _so_ not your fault. Hulk’s gone, and you never have to worry about him again. I’m only telling you because there is a lot of stuff online about him, and not all of it’s nice. But you should know he wasn’t a bad guy. No matter what people say, Hulk was always on our side. He just didn’t have great self-control.”

Bruce looked concerned and Tony sighed.

 

“I’m not doing this right. What I want – what I’m tryin’ to do – is for you to understand that you aren’t Hulk anymore, and anything he did, anyone he hurt, has nothing to do with you. I don’t want you to feel responsible for his mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes, right?” he tried a smile, “I’ve made heaps of mistakes that hurt people.”

“Like what?” Bruce asked.

“Well I wasn’t always a superhero. Before I built the Iron Man suit I made weapons for the army. Lots of people died because of those weapons, and at the time I didn’t think too hard about it. When I realised my inventions weren’t being used the way I thought they should be, I shut down that part of the business and shifted our focus to helping people.”

The boy looked thoughtful, tracing a circle on the knee of his jeans. “So you became an Avenger because you felt bad?”

“Yeah. I think you joined up for the same reason. Maybe that’s why we were friends; we both wanted to make a difference, instead of being the monsters other people thought we were.”

“I was a monster?” Bruce whispered.

“You didn’t wanna be,” Tony said, “But you couldn’t always stop yourself.”

“Like my dad.”

That was _way_ out of Tony’s league, but he couldn’t let it hang there either. He clenched his teeth.

“No, not like your dad. Your dad hurt you and your mum because he was a bad person. Most of the people who got hurt by Hulk were trying to attack him or people he cared about, and the others were accidents. You, Bruce, never wanted to hurt anyone. Your dad did. You’re nothing like him.”

He looked a bit happier, which Tony took as a win. He leaned back on the couch.

“Jarv, pull up some clips of Hulk kickin’ ass with the rest of the team?”

“Right away, sir.”

 

Steve found them there, Bruce giggling as Thor smashed a Doombot through a parked car, Tony tossing popcorn in the air and catching it in his mouth. The captain raised a brow as the Tony on screen flew past, repulsors knocking the heads off droids with a whoosh.

“Hey guys. Havin’ fun?”

“We’re having a ball, right bud?” Tony smiled.

Bruce’s legs kicked against the couch excitedly. He pointed at the TV. “Look, that’s me!”

Hulk roared and ripped a lamp post out of the sidewalk, swatting at Doombots and smashing more than a few building facades in the process.

“Yeah, you did a great job,” Steve nodded, “Mind if I borrow Tony for a second?”

“I’ll be right back, pal,” the inventor jumped up, following Steve to the kitchen, “What’s up?”

“Hill told me about the conversation you had with Fury. I just wanted to see how you were doin’.”

“Great!”

“Yeah, I noticed. Is he, uh, is he okay with the Hulk clips?”

“Jarvis is keeping a tight filter on which videos get played. I figured the uglier ones can wait until Bruce is older. But I think it’s helping him understand what role he played in the team, cos he doesn’t think much of himself in general right now.”

Steve’s hand audibly creaked as he clenched it into a fist and Tony snorted.

“Right there with ya, Rogers.”

“If there’s anything I can do-”

“I’ll let you know – really. I’ll probably take you up on that a lot. But this is the first time I feel like I’ve done something right.” Tony beamed proudly.

There was a loud crash in the other room and Bruce laughed. Steve slung an arm around Tony’s shoulders with a smile.

“Sounds like you’re already a pro.”

“I’m a genius, you know.”

“So you keep tellin’ me.”

*****

Tony had managed to not only make sandwiches that didn’t taste terrible, but make them at a lunch-appropriate time. He sat at the table with Bruce watching the boy eat and feeling ridiculously pleased with himself, plotting out the rest of their afternoon. The elevator opened and Pepper stepped out.

“Pep! Want some lunch?”

“I already ate, but thank you, Tony. I have some news.”

Bruce frowned as she produced a piece of paper, showing it to the billionaire. Tony took it, mindful of his messy fingers, and laughed.

“Well, you’re officially a Stark, kiddo. Hope that’s okay.”

He slid the adoption certificate across so Bruce could see. The boy screwed up his nose.

“Robert? Nobody calls me that.”

“I know, but we’re trying to be sneaky about your real identity so no bad guys figure out who you are. We’ll still call you Bruce if that’s what you prefer.” Tony said.

“We need to make a statement.” Pepper looked at him pointedly.

“Why? The less media attention, the better.”

“Because it’s you, Tony. You never shy away from media attention. You have to act normal or people will have even more questions than you’re already gonna get about why the genius Tony Stark would suddenly adopt. Plus, the more information we provide, the more we control the angle of the story and the less digging they’re gonna do.”

“Fine, fine. You want me to make a speech? It might be better if I do it alone, just to keep Pepper-my-CEO and Pepper-my-girlfriend separate.”

“No, I think a united front’s better. We’re going to be a family, so we should present it as a joint decision.”

“Thank God,” he huffed, “I need you to handle the uncomfortable questions.”

“We’re booked to appear on Barbara Walters tonight.”

“Isn’t she retired?”

Pepper shrugged. “This story is a goldmine and her reps know it. She’s got good credibility – adds to the mature, parental image.”

Tony made a face. “Alright. Bruce, we’ll ask Steve to stay with you while we’re out. You guys can have cake for dinner.”

“They absolutely cannot,” Pepper rolled her eyes, “We need to be at the studio by five, so make sure you’re ready to leave.”

She headed back to the elevator and Tony winked at Bruce.

“Celebratory adoption cake. It’s happenin’.”

 

Tony tapped his foot as a wardrobe assistant tried to adjust his lapel.

“Does she have to?” he glanced at Pepper.

“Yes. Stop squirming.”

“One minute to air, Ms Walters.” The producer leaned in.

Barbara nodded. “We’re ready.”

The assistant brushed at Tony’s hair and he tapped her hand aside.

“You’re done.”

She scurried off looking terrified and Pepper gave him an admonishing look. Tony didn’t care if he was coming off abrupt – he didn’t like to be touched, damn it. He was stressed enough without adding unwanted physical contact.

“I’m so thrilled for both of you,” Barbara smiled, “Starting your family is a fantastic achievement.”

“We’re very excited.” Pepper placed her hand on Tony’s.

“Thirty seconds!”

“You read through our instructions about topics are off the table?” Tony asked.

“Don’t worry, Mr Stark. I have the utmost respect for your child’s privacy. Goodness knows he won’t have much of it.” She smiled wryly.

“And in five, four, three…”

“Good evening. I’m Barbara Walters, and tonight we have a very special interview with Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, who have some incredible news,” she leaned in, expression serious, “Pepper, would you care to tell our viewers at home?”

“I’d love to, Barbara,” she flashed a perfect grin, “Tony and I have just finalised the adoption of our son Robert.”

“Wonderful! Isn’t it just wonderful? How long has this been in the works?”

Pepper looked at Tony expectantly. The genius cleared his throat, straightening in his chair.

“We’ve been talking about it for a while – ever since we got together, really. You know, Stark Industries is a family business and I always sort of imagined handing it down to a son of my own, but between the Avengers and running the company neither of us has had the time.”

“And what’s different now?” Barbara asked with an intense frown of concentration.

 Pepper entwined their fingers. “We realised that the world is too unpredictable to wait around for that perfect time. Tony’s work is very dangerous, and I’m never going to get any less busy, so we decided to just go for it.”

“And we wanted to open our home to someone who needed it,” Tony added, “Someone who’d had a rough start and deserved parents who love him and wanna give him the best.”

“Does this mean there’s a wedding in your near future?”

Pepper laughed. “Maybe. We haven’t discussed that yet. Like Tony said, we’re short on time, so it will happen when it happens.”

 

“So how old is Robert?”

“He’s five and a half.”

“And had you met him before the adoption?”

“We actually spent quite a lot of time getting to know him. We wanted him to be comfortable.” Pepper nodded.

“What about his real parents? Are they still around?”

“He’s an orphan,” Tony said firmly, “And that’s all I wanna say about it.”

“Is he excited to have Iron Man as his new dad?”

Tony gave a tight smile. “He doesn’t really care one way or the other, I think. And we’re very determined to keep him away from that side of things as much as possible, keep him out of the press and give him some semblance of a normal life.”

“I don’t suppose that was something you had when you were his age.”

The genius took a breath. “It wasn’t. My dad worked a lot, which didn’t leave much time for me. I was raised by our butler until I went to M.I.T, and then after my parents died I didn’t really have anyone. I want to give Robert a sense of stability I didn’t have.”

“It must have been tough.” She nodded wisely.

“I don’t think growing up rich, smart and famous is anything to whine about. I certainly had an easier time than the majority of people,” he frowned, “But there were times when it sucked, yeah. I was angry at my dad for a long, long time, thinking he didn’t care, that I wasn’t good enough. Measuring myself against an imaginary standard really, cos he wasn’t around to tell me he was proud. I guess it made me want a family I could be close to.”

Pepper looked at him in surprise, and even Barbara seemed taken aback. Tony bit his cheek, taking a sip of water. He hadn’t expected to open up so much – he barely spoke to Pep about his dad and his family hang-ups. Maybe it had just been on his mind more since they decided to adopt Bruce. Maybe he was finally okay talking about it.

He decided not to risk blabbing any more about his feelings, letting Pepper handle the questions as he smiled supportively, but he wasn’t really listening. He was too busy wondering if his dad would be proud of the man he’d become. And the hidden, vulnerable optimistic part of Tony thought maybe he would be.

“Any chance Robert might get a brother or sister at some point?” Barbara smiled.

“It’s way too early to think about.” Pepper waved a hand.

“Yeah,” Tony smirked, “Give me a chance to not completely screw this one up first.”


	2. Chapter 2

Every single paper and tabloid had it plastered across the front page, and there was an endless stream of articles and videos online with the regrettable hashtag _#IronDad_.

“Come on,” Tony held up his phone, “That was the best they could come up with?”

“What about Ironing Man?” Rhodey joked from the couch, “Cos you’re like the house-husband, staying home to take care of the kids.”

“Weak effort, Rhodes. I expect better.”

“Tiny Stark?” Steve offered.

“Iron Familyman.”

“I like that one,” Tony pointed at him, “I’m tweeting it.”

The reaction seemed to be a mixture of complete shock and mass adoration from people who thought Tony as a dad was a total dreamboat. It also saw the Stark Industries HR email inundated with thousands of offers from nannies, au pairs, tutors and anyone with any kind of teaching or childcare degree.

“I don’t know, Tony,” Pepper said, poring over the list of applications, “Maybe we should think about hiring someone to watch Bruce when we’re not here. We both have pretty busy schedules.”

“No,” the inventor shook his head, “No nannies.”

“What about when we have to go to events or dinners? Steve shouldn’t always have to babysit; he’s got his own life.”

“Even if it wasn’t a total security risk hiring some stranger, I won’t have my kid being raised by the help like I was. No nannies. Plus I want him to have us around so he feels comfortable and connected and part of the family. It’s better for his…issues.”

Pepper touched his arm gently. “Tony, I know you want to be a good dad, and that’s great. But you have to be practical. We can’t be here all the time.”

“We’ve got a whole team of superheroes we can ask to watch him.”

“What if he needs watching because the Avengers have a mission and I’m away on business?”

“Happy can stay with him.”

“What if Happy’s with me?”

Tony’s mouth snapped shut. He frowned, then brightened. “Barnes isn’t an Avenger, and it’s not like he’s got a happenin’ social life. Plus Bruce and Nat can hang out.”

“I don’t think that’s a good last-minute option.”

“It’s only a twenty minute drive from their place to the Tower.”

“Twenty minutes is too long if you have an Iron Man emergency.”

“Jarvis can keep an eye on him for twenty minutes.”

“Tony! You can’t be serious.”

“No nannies, Pep. I won’t do it,” He set his jaw, “I’ll give up Avenging if I have to.”

She blinked. “Really?”

Tony shrugged, coughing. “I dunno. Haven’t thought about it, but it’s probably the smart option. Lowers the chances of you guys getting attacked, means I’m home more.”

“But you love being Iron Man.” Pepper frowned.

“Let’s not talk about it until we have to, alright?” Tony looked away, “Tell you what, are any of those resumes for private chefs? Cos I’ll happily hand off cooking to someone more qualified.”

She snickered. “I’m sure Bruce would appreciate a break from sandwiches.”

“I can cook!” Tony protested, “I made you an omelette.”

“How many have you made me since?”

“Not the point.”

 

Tony wasn’t 100% sure how to keep Bruce entertained until school started in September. He’d spent his summers as a child working on his inventions, sometimes with his dad, usually alone. Bruce wasn’t as hands-on as Tony but he figured that was a good enough place to start. He decided they just needed one good project.

“Hey kiddo,” Tony poked his head into his room, “Wanna help me build a race car?”

Bruce looked up from tying his shoes. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“But I don’t know how.”

“That’s why I’m gonna teach ya. Come on.”

He ambled down the stairs, trusting Bruce to follow, and hit the elevator call button. By the time the doors opened, the boy was scrambling to catch up. Tony tucked that information away for later; apparently little Bruce was just as keen for science as the big version.

“What kind of race car are we making?” he asked as they stepped into the elevator.

“Old school hot rod,” Tony winked, “Like me.”

Bruce’s gaze narrowed like he was trying to decipher the joke and Tony coughed nervously.

“Modern race cars have much more complicated engines. We’ll start you off slow, since it’s your first time.”

They climbed out, the workshop door swinging open for Tony, and he led Bruce to his main desk.

“Here, drag that stool over.” He pointed, taking his seat.

Bruce got the chair positioned next to him while Tony pulled up some clips, dividing the screen into four. A couple were videos of cars circling a race track and the other two were animations of the internal workings of an engine.

“See, I’ve been trying to find an efficient way to use the arc reactor design to power a car. It powers the suits, and they can freakin’ fly. Should be easy to make a couple of wheels spin, right?”

Bruce stuck his lip out. “Yes?”

“Not as easy as you’d think. The problem is the reactor’s got too much juice for so small an application. Nobody driving 40 through the city needs to be able to hit a top speed of 200 in less than five seconds. I can put a governor on it to restrict the output, but it’s just a waste of energy given how much work goes into making each reactor – especially at a smaller scale.”

“But it would work for a race car, if you need it to go fast.”

Tony smiled. “Yeah, it would. I was gonna adapt the Stark Industries F1 but apparently the cars need to meet a certain safety standard and we’d be disqualified for unusual modifications. I’ve shelved that plan for now. You and I are gonna build a mostly ordinary engine, but I’ve got a few ideas to make it greener. Jarv, pull up the render.”

 

The video footage disappeared, to be replaced by a rotating view of a 1940s hot rod in metallic blue. Tony waved a hand.

“This is just an example. You gonna help me with our design?”

Bruce swallowed, scratching his nose. “I don’t know if I can.”

“It’s easy. First we’ll pick the exterior colour. What do you think of the blue?”

“It’s nice.”

“Not really dangerous enough though, huh? It doesn’t scream ‘Get out of the way, Starks comin’ through!’ We can do better.”

He gave a tentative giggle. “What about red?”

“Red it is,” Tony adjusted the image with a tap, the car turning a fiery crimson, “Trim?”

“Yellow, like Iron Man.” Bruce grinned.

“I like the way you think, kid. Let’s throw some shiny gold mirrors and grilles in there. Seats?”

He screwed up his face. “Yellow again?”

Tony changed the colour. “Like that?”

Bruce shook his head. “Not so bright.”

Tony dragged it down a few shades. “Better?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s look at rims. Jarv, gimme some options.”

The screen filled with rows of hubcaps, and Tony glanced down at Bruce, patting his leg.

“Hey, you wanna sit here? It’ll be easier for you to see.”

The boy did not look at all enthusiastic, but he climbed into Tony’s lap. The inventor made sure to keep his arms loose and open so he wouldn’t feel trapped, but Bruce was still rigid as he sat completely still with his hands squeezed between his knees.

“Which of these do you like?” Tony prompted.

Bruce’s response was quieter, shyer. “I don’t know.”

“Well let’s pick one and see how it looks on the model, and if you don’t think it works we’ll try something else.”

He reluctantly selected one, and then immediately rejected it. Tony kept up his gentle goading, making suggestions when Bruce seemed stuck but ultimately letting him have final say in everything. After they’d finished picking the colours and rounding off the chassis to the perfect aerodynamic curve, Tony opened a 3D breakdown of the inner components and started explaining how they all worked. Little by little Bruce relaxed, asking more questions, until he was leaning back against Tony’s chest gesturing at the model with both hands and chattering away. He didn’t fully understand the mechanics but he was picking it up quickly, and Tony felt a rush of pride.

 

After a few hours, Jarvis interrupted. “Sir, Miss Potts has lunch ready upstairs.”

“Guess we should take a break. Come on, kiddo.”

When they stepped out of the elevator, Pepper had already started on her Chinese. Bruce bounded over to the table, taking a seat next to her.

“How’s your day going?”

“Tony’s letting me help him build a car!” he said, eyes bright.

“Wow! That sounds fun.”

“He’s teaching me about engines, and fuel efficiency, and renewable energy.”

“I bet you’ll be an expert by dinner.”

He made a face. “Maybe not that soon.”

Pepper laughed. “Tell me about the car. What does it look like?”

Bruce happily rattled off all the details, and Tony could have jumped up and down in his seat. He hadn’t seen the kid this excited ever, and it was thanks to _his_ brilliant idea. And not only had he been more comfortable talking to Tony and meeting his eye, but he was doing it with Pepper too.

“Sounds like you guys are gonna be busy for a while.” The redhead smiled at Tony.

“It’s our summer project, right? I figure we can get it done by the time school starts and take it for a test run at the factory track.”

“I’ll bring a cheer squad.” She chuckled.

“We’ll have the Ironettes whip something up.”

She gave him a disapproving look.

“What? What’s the point in having my own personal backup dancers if I can’t use them to stroke my ego?”

“I don’t think it needs the stroking.” She muttered.

*****

“Mr Stark?”

He rolled over with a snuffle. “What’s up, Jarv?”

“Master Bruce appears to be in some distress.”

Tony sat up hurriedly, freezing as Pepper made a noise and shifted in her sleep. He got out of bed more carefully, throwing on a robe as he slipped into the hall. He knocked lightly on Bruce’s door, opening it.

“Buddy?”

The boy was tossing, his hair stuck to his face with sweat, whimpering quietly. Tony sat on the edge of the mattress and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Bruce, time to wake up, pal. Come on Brucey. You’re just having a bad dream. It’s not real.”

He flinched away from the sound of Tony’s voice and the engineer bit his cheek, squeezing Bruce’s shoulder gently.

“Bruce, it’s Tony. You’re safe here. It’s just a dream. You can make it stop as soon as you wake up.”

His eyes popped open with a gasp, chest heaving as he tried to scramble away from the large figure looming over him. Tony recoiled, hands near his chest where Bruce could see them.

“Hey, it’s alright. You were having a nightmare. You’re okay.”

Bruce’s eyes were teary, his teeth dug deep into his bottom lip, but he didn’t make a sound. Tony slowly reached out a hand, resting it lightly on his leg through the covers.

“It’s okay if you need to cry. I cry sometimes when I get scared.”

“Crying’s for babies.”

“Not true. I’ve seen plenty of grown-ups cry. It helps them feel better.”

Bruce sniffed, wiping his face on his sleeve. “I’m fine. I’m sorry if I woke you. You don’t have to stay with me, I’ll go back to sleep.”

“No rush, buddy. I was up anyway, getting a glass of water. You want one?”

“No thank you, I’m alright.”

Tony ignored him, going into the bathroom to fill a tumbler to give Bruce a chance to compose himself in private. He handed him the glass and turned the lamp on before sitting next to Bruce again.

“You wanna talk about it?”

He shook his head.

“That’s okay. I don’t like to talk about my nightmares either.”

“You have nightmares?” Bruce asked hesitantly.

“Yeah. Some bad stuff happened to me a couple of years ago, and I dream about it sometimes. I dream about scary stuff that happened when I was fighting with the Avengers too.”

“I didn’t know grown-ups get scared.”

“Are you kidding? Everyone gets scared sometimes.”

“What do you do about it?”

Tony gave his goatee an exaggerated stroke. “Tonight I’m prescribing milk and cookies, and watching cartoons. Sound good?”

They snuck downstairs as quietly as possible, Tony grabbing their provisions from the kitchen while Bruce made a comfortable nest of blankets and pillows on the couch. The inventor got himself situated where he could hold the snacks level in his lap and turned on the TV.

“Jarv?”

“Do you have a preference, sir?”

“Let’s have some _Quick Draw McGraw_.”

He rested an arm along the back of the couch, sipping his milk, and glanced down at Bruce. The boy was holding his glass with both hands, eyes on the screen. He didn’t look very relaxed; he was carefully maintaining a gap between them, back too straight. Tony didn’t comment, returning his attention to the show with a quiet laugh. At least Bruce hadn’t insisted on being alone – that had to be a positive step.

 

Tony woke up with an ache in his back and a crick in his neck, stretching it out with a hiss. Someone shoved a steaming cup of coffee under his nose and he moaned gratefully.

“Pep, you are a fuckin’ angel. What time is it?”

“Eight.”

“Where’s Bruce?”

“The two of you were passed out. I had Steve carry him back to bed.”

Tony nodded, taking a huge gulp that burned his throat. “I’ll let him keep snoozin’ for a bit. I need a shower.”

“I’ve got meetings til 4 but I should be home for dinner.” She kissed his cheek.

“I’m gonna hold you to that.”

The CEO waved, and Tony leaned back to enjoy his coffee. Maybe he’d have Jarvis send up the company masseurs. He was too old to be falling asleep on couches, even expensive ones.

He thought he’d handled Bruce’s nightmare alright, even if he couldn’t personally relate to that kind of terror. Howard had never hit him; Tony had been neglected, forgotten and put down but never beaten. He couldn’t imagine how it felt to always be waiting for an attack from someone who had all the power, and knowing there was nothing you could do to stop it.

Except he could.

And he _had_ done something – he’d built the Iron Man suit and escaped from his tormentors. He’d found a way to defend himself, to take back control. Maybe Bruce needed that too, like an _emotional_ suit of armour.

“God,” Tony chuckled, “I sound like a fuckin’ self-help book.”

Being reminded his father was very dead and not in a position to hurt him might make Bruce feel safer, but dragging him to stare at the man’s grave seemed a bit extreme, and it wouldn’t alleviate his fear that Tony or somebody else would take over the role of abuser. It wasn’t enough to promise Bruce he’d never be treated that way again; he needed to feel strong enough to stand up for himself and refuse to let it happen.

Part of Tony’s recovery after Afghanistan had been making the suits so he could protect himself, but it had also involved letting people in and letting them help him, and learning to feel his feelings instead of burying them under a facade of casual sex and alcoholism. And the only way to teach Bruce it was okay to feel, to show his emotions and make his opinions known, was to let him do those things and see there were no negative consequences for speaking up.

It didn’t feel like enough; Tony was used to being the proactive guy, but forcing Bruce to open up wasn’t going to make him more comfortable. They couldn’t force trust. He finished his coffee with a grimace. If only there was a how-to manual for rebooting confidence.

 

They spent most days in the workshop or the assembly space Tony had designated in the garage. Tony ran up the chassis parts on the same machines he used for the suit and they put them together, the engineer secretly finding Bruce’s tiny safety gear adorable. Pepper was vigilant about making sure they took lunch and dinner breaks, and that everybody got to bed at a reasonable time, and it was a good thing too or they would have worked themselves sick. They spent almost all of their time talking about Tony’s adjustments to clean up the engine, and how they worked, and what other applications they had. In those moments Tony felt the triumph of a plan going well; the fire in Bruce’s expression as they bantered back and forth about an idea was exactly what he wanted to see.

“Wanna come to Jersey with me?” he asked as they bolted together seat frames, “There’s an auto upholsterer there who really goes above and beyond – I don’t know what material he uses, but it’s better than suede or leather.”

“Okay,” Bruce said without looking up, “Dum-E, can you please pass me that spanner?”

The robot gripped the tool and offered it with a whirr, Bruce taking it with a smile. He patted the mechanical arm.

“You’re spoiling them. They’ll start thinking they’re useful.” Tony shook his head.

“I like them. They’re like puppies, but smarter.”

“That’s debatable.”

You gave a whine and Tony scoffed.

“What? Prove me wrong.”

 They put the last pieces of the frame together and Tony stood, wiping his hands on a rag.

“Alright, let’s get cleaned up and then we’ll head out.”

Bruce carefully put his tools back in their proper place and hung his gloves up. “I’ll be quick.”

He hurried off, and Tony made sure everything was turned off and locked down before following.

“Sir,” Jarvis’ voice echoed tinnily in the elevator, “Might I suggest you forewarn Master Bruce about the consequences of being a Stark before you venture out of the building?”

“What do you mean?”

“You have understood that particular burden your whole life. Bruce has no experience with the press or the security risks.”

“Shit. Yeah, good point. Thanks Jarv.”

Tony showered and threw on a clean t-shirt and slacks, slipping a blazer over the top. Bruce was waiting on the couch when he got back downstairs.

“Are we going now?”

“Hold up, buddy – we need to have a chat first.”

 

He looked concerned as Tony sat next to him, the inventor sighing tiredly at the sight of that old wariness he’d been trying so hard to erase.

“You know Pep and I told everyone we’d adopted you, yeah?”

“Captain Steve and I watched it on TV.”

“Well I haven’t actually asked you how you feel about it.”

Bruce fisted his hands in the hem of his shirt. “I wanted to stay with you and Pepper.”

“I know, but being a Stark is more than just living with us at the Tower. There’s some stuff we should talk about. Maybe we should have talked about it earlier, but I guess I didn’t consider it would all be new for you.”

He took another breath.

“You’re famous now. Pretty much everyone knows your name, and your face once the media get pictures of us together – which they will, since paparazzi are gonna follow you. They might harass you, though Happy’s great at making them back off. You’ll have be careful whenever you’re in public because if you mess up like I did, everybody knows about it. And it’s worse for you – when I was a dumb teenager there were no camera phones or Instagram or Perez Hilton.”

He scratched his neck.

“There are other issues too. You might be targeted by anyone who has a bone to pick with me or the company, or Iron Man and the Avengers. We’re gonna have to teach you what to do if the Tower’s attacked, or if somebody tries to kidnap you, and what to do if they succeed. I hate that, by the way. I hate that being related to me puts you in danger. I’m gonna do everything I can to keep you safe, but I want you to be able to take care of yourself if I fail.”

Bruce still didn’t say anything, watching Tony intently.

“I’m sorry we even have to have this conversation. Maybe I should have told you this before you decided to move in. I feel like you didn’t really know what you were getting into.”

The boy looked thoughtful for a moment, and Tony bit his cheek to stop more words spilling out. Eventually Bruce patted Tony’s hand uncertainly.

“I feel…safe with you,” he said, “And Pepper, and Jarvis, and Steve. I’m glad I’m here, even if I have to worry about cameras and bad guys and stuff. You talk to me like I’m a grown-up. Like I have things to say.”

Tony tried to clear his throat but the huge wad of pressure there refused to move. “I’m really glad you’re here too, Bruce. You talk to me like _I’m_ a grown-up.”

He giggled, and Tony managed a smile.

“If you ever feel unsure about something, or stressed, promise you’ll tell me? I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

Bruce nodded, and Tony reached over to ruffle his hair.

“Come on, let’s go to Jersey. Maybe we can see Bucky and Nat while we’re at it.”

They went down to the garage and chose one of the less ostentatious cars, Tony making sure Bruce was buckled up before pulling out into the street. Sure enough, there were a handful of reporters milling around outside the building, watching the exit. They all reached for their cameras, snapping at the car.

The inventor glanced at Bruce. The boy was frowning, squinting through the tinted glass.

“They’re not so bad.” He said.

Tony laughed. “You’re a natural, kid.”

He beamed at the praise, hiding his face, and Tony chuckled again as they left the Tower behind.

*****

“Sir, Sergeant Barnes and Miss Romanov are here.”

Tony looked up from his schematics. “Great, send them in.”

The workshop door slid open and Bucky walked in, Natasha close behind. The girl’s eyes flicked from surface to surface in a thorough examination of the room that made Tony want to lock his tools away. He stood, offering a hand.

“Good to see ya, Barnes.”

The old soldier shook carefully, running his hand through his hair. “Thanks for this, Stark.”

“My pleasure, really. Ready to get started?”

“Yeah, I think.”

Tony glanced at Natasha, “Bruce is upstairs, if you wanna hang out. We might be awhile.”

“I will stay with James.” She said stubbornly.

“Okay. Jarv, tell Brucey we’re in the workshop if he wants to join. Barnes, take a seat. Romanov, keep your hands off my gadgets.”

“She’ll be good.” Bucky said, no threat or doubt in his tone.

Tony shrugged internally and sat at the bench, Bucky taking a stool next to him, Nat climbing onto the arm of the workshop couch where she could keep an eye on everything. Tony collapsed the design he’d been working on and opened a new project.

“Sir, Master Bruce says he will be down after lunch.”

“Cool. So you just want a way to hide the arm in public?”

“It needs to look natural.” Bucky nodded.

“I’ve got a couple of ideas but I need to know what kind of power source that thing operates on, and how the plates move together. So today I’ll do some scans, throw around some ideas with you, maybe examine the programming. We won’t make any modifications this week.”

Bucky nodded with a grimace. “You do what you gotta do.”

Tony raised a hand and paused. “You’re not going to have a Vietnam moment if I touch it, are you?”

“Probably not. Don’t worry Stark, Tash will intervene if you need rescuing.” The other man smirked.

“That’s comforting,” Tony lightly touched his elbow, guiding Bucky to raise the arm away from his body, “Jarv, full diagnostic.”

 

Blue light surrounded the tips of Bucky’s fingers, slowly working its way up towards his shoulder. The brunette clenched his jaw, neck muscles tensed, and Tony decided he should keep the ex-assassin distracted before anybody had any disconcerting flashbacks.

“Sure you don’t want me to trick this thing out?” the inventor asked chirpily, “Laser cannon, circular saw, dog whistle in your pinky?”

“I think it’s dangerous enough as it is.”

“Come on, where’s your sense of style?”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “I’m not some cheesy supervillain.”

“You could be. How about Baron von Steelfist? The Amazing Ironhand? Mr Amnesia? The Magnetic Man?”

Natasha giggled and Bucky glared at her. “You’re siding with Stark now? Traitor.”

“He is funny.” She smiled.

“Everyone’s a wiseass.” Bucky muttered.

“It’s your friend Steve, he’s a bad influence.”

The brunette snorted, shaking his head. “He always was. You know how many fights that kid got me into? Always startin’ on guys twice his size, and then _I_ had to wade in to get him out in one piece.”

“He hasn’t changed.” Tony said.

The scan reached the top of Bucky’s arm and stopped, a 3D schematic appearing above the workbench. Tony turned it from side to side, examining the outer plating before clearing it with a sweep of his hand to reveal the wiring and pistons below.

“This thing is…way more complicated than it needs to be. Instead of completely upgrading it, they’ve just layered new tech over the old stuff. I’d be better off starting from scratch, Barnes. I could build in the cloaking aspect, make it lighter, tighten up some of these mechanisms.”

“I’m used to it.” He frowned.

“It’s not a favourite teddy bear, Barnes – it’s your _arm_. It will still be your arm, just better.”

“I’ve had it for seventy years, Stark.” He scowled.

“And you got it from HYDRA, so who knows what surprises are lurking around in there? You wanna risk them activating without warning?”

Bucky pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, looking away. “Fine. You can strip it out, but you can’t change the weight.”

“But-”

“No, Stark. My whole body’s adjusted to it, and I’m not changing.”

“Fine. I’ll find some way to maintain it,” he bent over the schematic, “Like a laser cannon.”

“Not happening, Tony.”

“Everybody always ruins my fun.”

 

Tony had been sketching out plans for about fifteen minutes when Bruce arrived, waving shyly to Bucky.

“Hi, Sergeant Barnes. Hi Natasha.”

“Brucey, why don’t you show Nat the designs for the engine? I’m sure she’d like to hear about what we’re building.”

“Um, okay.” He walked over to the couch and hesitated, gesturing for Nat to follow him to his own small work desk in the corner.

The redhead frowned at Bucky and he grinned. “Go ahead. I’ll call if we need you.”

The kids walked out of earshot and Tony glanced at the other man askance.

“How’s it going with her?”

“Good. We’ve started going for runs in the park sometimes, when other people are there. No incidents so far.”

“You guys should get a dog.”

Bucky made a face. “Let me get more practice keeping both of us alive before we add another worry to the list, alright Stark?”

“Pets are good for kids. I’d get one for Bruce but penthouse living and puppies don’t really mesh.”

“What about a cat?”

“Are you out of your damn mind?”

The ex-soldier snickered, eyes tracking Tony’s movements as he typed. “How is he?”

The shorter man gave a half-shrug. “He talks to me. That’s an improvement. He’s still having nightmares but that might not go away for years. We got his school uniforms, which he was sort of nervous about I think. I’m not sure he’s enthusiastic about making new friends.”

“School – god, what a security headache.”

Tony gave him a wry glare, arching a brow. “Thanks, Barnes. Cos I wasn’t panicking about it enough.”

“He’ll be fine. Those fancy private schools are full of precautions, that’s why you rich folk like ‘em.”

“It’s hard to think about letting go, you know?” Tony frowned, “We’ve been spending every day together all summer, and now I’m gonna have to hand him over to somebody else five days a week. I feel like I’m gonna be missing so much.”

“He’ll tell you about it, if you ask. He’d probably like to know you’re interested.”

Tony nodded. “Yeah. And I’m gonna hang out with him as much as possible on the weekends. I know Pep feels like she doesn’t get to see him enough, so we’ll probably do family things like go to the beach or the Park or something. Maybe you and Nat could come sometimes? It would be good practice being around crowds.”

“Who are you, my shrink?”

“You don’t even have a shrink.”

“I’ve got enough going on in my head without letting new people in. It’s bad enough living with Nat. She’s like a goddamn mindreader.”

Tony laughed. “Oh good, so that wasn’t learned behaviour? I was afraid I’d be able to get away with stuff again.”

*****

“How’s it lookin’, buddy?” Tony glanced over his shoulder as he reversed the hot rod out of the truck.

“A little to the left!” Bruce called.

Tony straightened up, easing the car down the ramp, and landed on the asphalt with a soft bump. He circled around to the starting line and killed the engine, climbing out. Pepper, Rhodey, Steve, Sam, Bucky and Natasha sat on the observation platform with a couple of picnic rugs, a packed lunch spread around them. The CEO waved a Stark Industries pennant.

“Wooo, go Team Stark!” she yelled.

“Ready to put this baby to the test?” Tony beamed, crouching in front of the boy.

“Yep.”

“You got the gear?”

Bruce opened a cardboard box and took out two helmets with ‘Team Stark’ on the side, blue to match their protective jumpsuits.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

They got in, Tony checking that Bruce’s safety harness was done up properly before buckling his own. He started the engine with a roar, waggling his brows at Bruce as they fastened their helmets.

“And they’re off!” he whooped, jamming his foot on the gas.

The car shot down the straight length of track like a bullet, Bruce squealing excitedly. Tony laughed, slowing to take the corner, and tearing back in the opposite direction. They did about ten laps, fast and loud, screeching past the spectators as they cheered. Tony rolled to a stop, raising his visor.

“How was that?”

Bruce giggled hyperactively, clapping. “It works!”

“Like a charm. We make a good team, bud.”

“Can we go again?”

“Hell yeah! Let’s get some lunch first though.”

“Okay.” Bruce pouted, taking off his helmet.

Tony laughed. “Now you sound like a Stark. Don’t worry, kid, we’ve got all afternoon. A short break won’t kill ya.”

They joined the others on the platform, Pepper handing them plates. “You guys were great!”

“It’s a zippy little thing.” Rhodey nodded in agreement.

“We like the colour, right Nat?” Bucky nudged her until she nodded.

“Bruce picked it.” Tony clapped him on the back affectionately.

 

The boy shuffled closer, waiting for the genius to serve himself before holding out his plate. He spooned out smaller portions for Bruce and handed it back, watching to make sure he was eating. When Tony looked up, Rhodey was giving him a funny expression, like he was holding back a laugh.

“What?”

“Nothin’. It’s just strange to see you doin’ the dad thing, instead of being the one who needs lookin’ after.”

“I’m a perfectly capable adult, thank you very much.”

Bucky snickered. “Pull the other one.”

“Oh, like you can talk.”

“Be nice.” Steve glared at him.

“He started it!” Tony spluttered, turning to Bruce, “Help me out here, Brucey.”

“It’s okay Tony, I think you’re nice.”

“Ha! Take that, Rogers.”

“So what are you two gonna build next summer?” Sam asked.

“How ‘bout a time machine?” the billionaire’s eyes lit up.

“No!” Pepper said loudly, “Knowing you, it would actually work. Let’s leave that can of worms alone, hmm?”

Tony scowled for a moment before shrugging. “We’ve got a whole year to think about it. Maybe we could outdo the Wright Brothers and make awesome gliders, or personal submarines or something. What do you think, Bruce?”

He smiled. “I like the hot rod but I think we can make it better, now I’ve had some practice.”

“You could make it an annual thing – the Stark Grand Prix.” Rhodey crunched on a carrot.

“I like the sound of that.”


	3. Chapter 3

“I hate this. Do you hate this?”

Pepper rested a hand on his knee. “I think all parents worry about their kid’s first day of school, Tony.”

“Why couldn’t we home school him?”

“Because he’s already going to have a hard enough time being your son, and we don’t want him growing up even more socially isolated.”

Tony frowned. “Oh sure, make it my fault.”

She kissed his cheek. “Bruce will be fine. _You’ll_ be fine.”

“You’re sure you can’t come with us?”

“Normally I wouldn’t dream of missing it, but the board keep muttering about me being distracted by ‘family concerns’, which I think is their way of politely implying my feeble female mind is more interesting in babies than running their company.”

Tony’s frown deepened. “Maybe I should set them straight.”

“It’s fine, honey. I’ll just prove them wrong by continuing to be awesome at being your CEO _and_ Bruce’s guardian.”

“It’s not fine. They wouldn’t be saying that shit if it was me.”

“Well unfortunately you can’t fire them, they own the company.”

“Not all of it,” he grumbled, “My name’s on the building. Hey, maybe we should get married – then your name would be on the building too.”

Pepper raised her brows. “Wow. How could I say no to such romance?”

She leaned in and kissed him again, standing.

“Let me handle the board. You just worry about making a good impression on Bruce’s principal.”

“I make a good impression on everyone.” Tony protested.

Bruce jumped down the stairs in his Trinity uniform, satchel over his shoulder, and Pepper beamed.

“You look very dapper. Are you looking forward to your first day?”

The boy adjusted the bag strap. “Um, I guess.”

Pepper kissed Bruce’s head. “Have fun, okay?”

Tony bounced off the couch. “It’s gonna be great, buddy. Let’s get moving.”

 

Happy pulled up in front of the school and cut the engine, climbing out to survey the area before opening the back door. Tony slid out, shades down, and offered a hand to Bruce. The boy clung to it grimly, letting Tony lead him up the stairs. A woman in a smart grey suit and school tie waited at the top, an artificial smile plastered across her face.

“Welcome to Trinity, Mr Stark.” She held out her hand.

“I don’t shake.” The billionaire waggled his fingers.

“Of course. My name is Ms O’Neill, and I’m the head of the school. We’re very excited to have Robert here.”

“He’s thrilled too, right bud?” Tony smiled at Bruce.

“I’ll show you both to his class.”

“I don’t have to do any signing or paperwork?” Tony asked as they followed her inside.

“Miss Potts took care of everything.”

“She’s great like that.”

Ms O’Neill led them upstairs and down a long hall that reminded Tony of his father’s old Manhattan apartment, with the dark wood panelling and obnoxiously understated but expensive art on the walls. She stopped at a door near the end and waved them through. About fifteen kids sat quietly at their desks, taking out their school books and pencil cases. A teacher stood at the front of the room talking to another parent that Tony recognised from the charity ball circuit. It wasn’t exactly the noisy chaos of most elementary schools but Bruce drew closer to Tony’s leg anyway, half-hiding his face.

The teacher finished his conversation and Ms O’Neill waved him over.

“Mr Fletcher, this is Robert Stark, our newest student.”

“Nice to meet you, Robert,” he bent so he was closer to Bruce’s eye level, “Ms O’Neill tells me you like science.”

Bruce nodded shyly.

“Great! We do some fun experiments here. Why don’t you say goodbye to your dad and take a seat by the window?”

Tony crouched next to Bruce, resting a hand lightly on his waist. “Have a good day, alright? Make lots of friends and wow everybody with that big brain of yours.”

“Yes, Tony.”

“I’ll be back with Happy later to pick you up.”

Bruce gave him a quick hug and Tony returned it, terrified for a moment he wouldn’t be able to let go. Then the boy left, heading for his desk, and the genius stood with a quick sniff and a cough to clear his throat.

“I’m expecting regular updates on how he’s settling in,” he glanced at the principal, “And my people will be making random assessments of your security arrangements.”

“Don’t worry, Mr Stark. Lots of our parents have particular safety requirements. Our security is expertly designed and managed.”

“Are lots of your parents Avengers? Because Dr Doom isn’t gonna care about ex-Mossad guards or bomb-proof windows.”

Ms O’Neill went to place a hand on his arm and stopped, withdrawing it. “I assure you Miss Potts fully briefed us, and approved our additional measures personally. Robert will be fine, Mr Stark. I look after all our children as if they were my own.”

Tony regarded her suspiciously, glancing back to where Bruce sat silently, watching the other kids around him like a lost puppy. The genius wanted to run across the room and snatch him up and take him home again – but instead he adjusted his shades and nodded to Mr Fletcher.

“I’m sure he’s in good hands.”

 

Tony tried to stay busy, he really did. But all day all he could think about was Bruce and how things were going at school. He checked his phone every thirty seconds just in case Ms O’Neill had called, and he kept the police scanner and TV news open in case a disaster struck and she was too incapacitated to alert him. He made Happy leave half an hour early to avoid unexpected traffic jams, and sat impatiently in the car until the bell rang.

Tony got out as students started swarming out of the building to be collected by parents and household staff, eyes peeled for dark brown curls, until finally he spotted Bruce.

“Hey bud!” he waved.

The boy grinned and hurried over, clutching his bag to his chest. Tony couldn’t help giving him a clumsy hug before opening the car door.

“How was your first day?”

“It was really fun.”

“Yeah? That’s great. Did you like your teachers?”

He nodded, buckling his seat belt. “Yeah, Mr Fletcher taught us all about insect life cycles and drawing pie graphs, and this semester we’re going to be studying the Boston Tea Party.”

“Cool. Did you make any friends?”

Bruce’s smile faltered a little, his shoulder coming up in a half-shrug. “Some of the kids were nice. Some were really stuck-up. They only wanted to ask me about you and the Avengers.”

Tony hid a guilty look behind his hand. “Sorry, kiddo. Lots of people are going to be curious about you because of me. This is good practice avoiding fake friends and finding ones who like you for you.”

“I know. Once those stuck-up kids realise I’m not special, they won’t wanna hang out with me anyway.”

“Hey, you’re way more special than them. They probably only got into Trinity because their parents are rich.”

“My parents are rich.”

“Yeah but you’re a genius, so you would have gotten in anyway.” Tony flapped a hand dismissively, trying to hide his pleasure at Bruce’s easy use of the word ‘parents’. He probably didn’t even mean it like that, he was just using it to point out the flaw in Tony’s argument.

“Is Pepper home?”

“I think she might sneak off a bit early to celebrate your scholastic endeavours. Shall we pick up a cake on the way home?”

Bruce giggled. “You can’t have cake before dinner, Tony.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t.”

“I will tell.”

He scowled. “Whose side are you on?”

 

Tony was more relaxed after that. He tried to make sure he was free to drop Bruce off and pick him up every day, but if something came up he let Happy go alone. He became enough of a schoolyard fixture that he got to know the other parents, all of them proudly exchanging stories about how brilliant their offspring were (and Tony laughed politely, but secretly he knew Bruce was the most brilliant).

He helped him with his homework, and quizzed him about what they’d learned, and constantly encouraged Bruce to invite his new friends out on the weekend so they could get to know each other. The only way he could have been more involved was if he’d joined the PTA, and there was no way in hell Tony was going to sit around and listen to people waffle on about bake sales and school fetes when his ideas were always so much better.

Pepper slid up behind him at the table, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Are you coming to bed?”

“Yeah, I just gotta finish marking Bruce’s assignment and sign his reading log.”

She kissed his neck. “You’re doing so great. I wish I had as much time to spend with Bruce.”

“You’re running the company. And you’re here at least 90% of weeknights, which is a lot, and you guys have your weekend movie marathons and stuff. You’re the world’s best mum, Pep.”

She laughed. “Well I _really_ doubt that, but he doesn’t seem to hate me so I guess I’m doing okay.”

“You go ahead. I’ll be upstairs in five minutes, max.” he tapped her hand.

“Okay. I’ll sic Jarvis on you if you’re not.”

She left and Tony carried on with his marking, signing the bottom of the page with a satisfied flourish.

“Kid’s a genius.” He chuckled.

“Sir, I have an incoming message.”

“Tell Pep I’m on my way.”

“It is from Commander Hill.”

Tony frowned. “Put her through.”

“Stark?”

“What’s up?”

“We’ve got a situation in Dallas. The director’s put out the call to assemble at HQ.”

“I’ll get Cap and head over now. Jarv, can you make my apologies to Pepper? Tell her not to wait up.”

 

Tony rolled away from a laser burst that melted a hole through the wall behind him and swore into his comms.

“Damn it Barton, where’s my cover?”

“I’m gettin’ to it, Stark. Quit whinin’.”

Tony raised his hand and blasted a spinning top of death out of the air before its three-foot blades could hit Steve. More of the machines zipped around the warehouse, some with the evil slicing arms and some shooting more lasers at his teammates. Their creator stood on a scaffold chuckling manically, and Tony shot the man a glower through his faceplate.

“Hasn’t anyone told him the mad scientist bit is so last century?”

“I don’t think he got the memo.” Sam grunted, soaring past overhead as he emptied his firearm into a device.

“You know, I almost miss the Doombots,” Clint said, firing an arrow that exploded its target into a shower of scrap metal, “Almost.”

Thor raised Mjölnir and the air crackled with electricity, Tony quickly landing as lightning dropped half a dozen of the drones. He sighted on the melodramatic professor.

“Let’s end this.”

The inventor took off, shooting across the building to land in front of the other man.

“Show’s over, pal.”

“You will never defeat my children, Stark!”

“Uh, newsflash? Already happening.” He waved a gauntlet at the destruction below.

The scientist frowned and stabbed a button on his control pad, and a section of the floor lifted up. Another few dozen drones flew out of the darkness to attack the rest of the team.

“Okay, you’re done.”

Tony threw a soft punch into his jaw and the professor sagged, the controller slipping out of his grasp. The billionaire picked it up, scanning the workings as he examined the available buttons.

“Stark?” Steve called, “Status?”

“Two secs.”

“Now would be good!”

“Well unless you want more of these things comin’ at ya, give me two secs!”

He shook his head, pulling the suit back from his fingers so he could work the keypad. It was fairly foolproof, a couple of commands for attack and defence, and a nice big ‘shutdown’ switch at the top. Tony pressed it firmly, looking up.

“That should do it.”

Every robot stopped, hovering as the blades and lasers slid back into their compartments. Steve sighed over the comms.

“Good job, Stark. Let’s start cleaning up.”

Then the controller flashed bright red and everything went to hell.

 

Tony swore as the drones flashed a matching red, a sharp whine coming from the device in his hand.

“Shit – everybody hit the deck!”

He flung himself flat over the professor as the bots exploded, not one at a time but all of them at once like a sonic boom. They blew so many holes in the warehouse ceiling and walls that from where Tony lay, the place looked like Swiss cheese. There was a second boom, quieter, that seemed to come from underground, and chunks of the floor collapsed as the roof started coming down.

“Captain!” Rhodey yelled, streaking down towards Steve as the concrete cracked open around him.

“Alright, we are gettin’ out of here.” Tony stood, gathering his captive in his arms.

Keeping his head down, he flew out through the nearest hole until he was a safe distance from the crumbling building. He set the scientist down and hurried back, Rhodey and Steve passing him in the other direction with Sam close behind.

“I could use some assistance!” Thor grunted over the comms.

Tony raced inside and found the god struggling to hold up the mezzanine as Clint crawled out from under it. Tony landed and offered the archer a hand.

“Come on, Barton. You’re gonna make us late.”

Clint reached for him and then whipped his hand back as a girder fell through the space between them, sheet metal pouring down in its wake. Tony dived back, firing the repulsors upwards to force more debris out of the way. Thor gave a strangled war cry and the inventor lent him a hand, holding the nearest corner as he reached for Clint again. The archer didn’t need to be told, wiggling free as fast as he could.

“You injured?”

“Nah.”

“Good.” Tony grabbed him as Thor let the platform drop.

The prince spun his hammer, taking off through the now-mostly open roof. Tony made sure Clint was safely tucked against him before following, zigzagging to avoid another falling beam. They were almost through when something clipped his shoulder, the suit spiralling downwards as Tony fought the momentum. They shot across the ground, Tony’s arm dragging across the asphalt as he kept his body between Clint and the pavement. He managed to right them, cursing at the ache in his joints as he landed next to the others.

“You okay?” he gasped at the archer.

“Yeah – you?”

“Fine.” He waved a hand, leaning forward to brace himself against his knees, “Arm hurts like a bitch but the suit copped the worst of it.”

Steve eyed them methodically and nodded. “Let’s move out before the emergency services get here.”

“What if there are more booby traps?” Sam asked.

“SHIELD are on their way to contain the site. I want everyone back at Medical as soon as possible.”

 

Tony couldn’t be bothered stripping off the suit, and he was pretty sure there were some dented plates that would make it impossible anyway. He sat at the back of the quinjet, eyes closed as he rested his head against the wall. That had been close, and he had been stupid, just jabbing buttons - like their job was ever that straightforward. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes like that. The team depended on him, Pepper depended on him, and the added weight of Bruce’s wellbeing was terrifying. He imagined for a moment what the boy would say if Tony didn’t come home from a mission, and quickly shoved the thought out of his head.

Once they were in the air Clint handed off the controls to Rhodey and dropped onto the bench next to Tony. He nudged the inventor with his arm.

“What’s up, Stark? You’ve got a face like a melted troll doll.”

Tony frowned at him. “Graphic, and patently untrue. I’m fucking gorgeous, Barton – unlike some.”

“Whatever. We all know Thor’s the real Avengers heartthrob.”

Tony snorted. “He’s a god. Doesn’t count.”

“Steve-”

“You come over here to tease me about my looks, or did you have a point?”

“You look like you’ve got something on your mind. Thought you might wanna talk.”

He sighed, wiping the sweat off the back of his neck. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“When we were asking Nat who she wanted to live with, Fury said you had kids.”

Clint pressed his lips together. “I don’t like to talk about it.”

“I figured, since you never mention them. But I want to know how you handle being an Avenger _and_ being a father.”

The archer shrugged. “I spend as much time with them as I can. I don’t talk about work when I’m at home and vice versa.”

“But this job is dangerous. You never worry one day you won’t make it back?”

“You can’t afford to start thinking like that. It makes you less focused in the field.”

Tony turned to face him. “You’re telling me that even after what happened with Loki, when you got the mental whammy put on you, that you never considered finding a safer line of work?”

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it, but in the end this is what I’m good at. I save people, protect the world…maybe it’s selfish to have kids under those circumstances but I didn’t want to miss my window. I guess I figure if something happens to me, at least I got to spend a little time with them. I’m not sure I could do this job at all if I didn’t have them. They give me hope.”

He eyed Tony askance.

“Why? What are you thinkin’?”

“Part of the reason my dad was never around was because he was running SHIELD, which I didn’t know at the time. I guess he thought his work was too important to give up for me, and he was probably right. And according to our friend Stevie, it got him killed. I don’t want that for Bruce. I want to be around, now and for years to come. I think staying on the team would be selfish when there are other people to fight my battles, but no one to fill in for me as Bruce’s dad,” he raised a hand, “No offence. To each his own, etc.”

“I get it. You accepted a lot of responsibility when you took him in and you wanna live up to it. That’s admirable, Tony.”

“You don’t think I should stay?”

“I don’t think you should be here if your heart’s not in it.”

Tony pouted. “It’s not. I have other things I wanna do; not just spending time with Bruce, but working on sustainability projects and clean energy schemes so I can make sure he has a future on this poor old planet.”

“Then you’re still gonna be protecting the world,” Clint smiled, “In a different way. In a more important way, if you ask me.”

“You won’t all hate me if I abandon you?”

“You’ll still be part of the team, Stark. You’re not getting rid of us that easy.”

 

Tony hummed to himself as he fired up his arc welder, bobbing his head.

“She’s a maniac, maaaniac on the floor,” he danced, “And she’s-”

“Sir,” Jarvis interrupted, “I have an incoming video call from Director Fury.”

“I’m not home.”

“I’m sorry sir, he assures me if I do not put him through he will personally locate you via spy satellite and invade the building.”

Tony rolled his eyes, turning off the welder as he raised his protective faceplate. “Fine.”

A window appeared on the monitor, Fury’s face filling the square as he scowled at the camera.

“Stark, what the hell is this?” he brandished a piece of paper.

“Uh, my resignation. I thought the subject line made that pretty clear – see where it says ‘Notice of Resignation’?”

“I got that, thank you. What I don’t understand is how you thought I’d just let it go without asking you what the hell you’re thinking?”

“Relax, Nick. I’ll still consult with SHIELD as per our original arrangement. I’m happy to design equipment for the team too. I just won’t be doing any actual Avenging.”

“What about your suits?”

“For emergency use only. And maybe sometimes recreational.”

“You think Iron Man can just hang up his hat? What happened to Mr Nuclear Deterrent?”

“I’ll still be here, instilling terror into the hearts of our enemies. I just won’t be doing the actual butt-kicking unless they leave me no choice.”

Fury frowned. “I thought you were committed to this intitiative.”

“I have other commitments now. More important ones.”

Something seemed to soften in the director’s expression, only for half an instant.

“Have you told Rogers?”

“Yep. He’s already looking for replacements.”

“I’m not sure where he’s gonna get another cocky, arrogant, smart-assed motherfucker like you.”

“Aww, Nicky. I’ll miss you too.”

*****

“Tony, what are we doing for Halloween?”

He frowned at his toast. “Whatever we usually do.”

“I don’t think the annual Stark Industries bacchanal is Bruce’s idea of a good night. It’s not super age-appropriate.”

“Huh,” he finally looked up, “Good point. What do people with children do?”

“They take them trick or treating. Maybe we could go with Bucky and Natasha?”

Tony scoffed. “Please – like the little Ruski wants to celebrate our big ol’ American funtimes. And Barnes will need to X-ray and taste test every piece of candy before he lets her touch it.”

Pepper made a face. “I didn’t think of that.”

“Hey, new idea – how about we have a Stark family party? We’ll invite all our employees and clients with kids, have everyone in costume, and hold a separate adults-only shindig that starts at like, nine or ten. We can invite some of the kids from Bruce’s class too.”

She grinned. “That’s a really great idea, Tony.”

“I know.”

“I’ll get my assistant to start organising a guest list.”

“Costumes!” Tony sat up excitedly, “I’m in charge of costumes.”

The redhead’s gaze narrowed. “I will not be wearing Lycra.”

“Don’t worry Pep, I’ll find something awesome.”

She gave him a dubious look, but luckily Bruce appeared before she could say anything.

“Morning honey.”

“Good morning, Pepper.” He sat between them.

“Brucey, have you ever dressed up for Halloween?” Tony beamed.

“Um, I don’t think so.”

“Wanna brainstorm some costume ideas with me after school?”

“After you’ve both finished your homework, of course.” Pepper shot him a look.

“I told you I’d sign the things by Wednesday.”

“It’s Tuesday, Tony.”

“Crap.”

Bruce nibbled at his toast. “Are we going to a party?”

“Even better – we’re having one. All the Avengers will be there, and a bunch of S.I. folk. We can invite your friends if you like.”

“Will Thor bring Dr Foster?” Bruce asked.

“I assume so. Why?”

“I’d like to talk to her about her work.”

“Knowing Jane, she’d absolutely love that. Are you interested in astrophysics?”

“There are a lot of new discoveries at the moment,” he said, “It’s exciting.”

“But not as exciting as clean energy, right?”

Bruce smiled. “Sure, Tony.”

“Good. Just so long as we’re agreed that I’m the best.”

 

Bucky shook his head as Tony checked the shoulder joint of his arm again. “She won’t go for it.”

“What are you talking about? Romanov loves a good disguise. Halloween should be her favourite holiday.”

“It’s _American_.”

“Isn’t she supposed to be blending in? Observing the local customs?”

The sniper fixed him with a scornful glare. “She’s trying, alright?”

“Hey, whoa buddy,” Tony raised his hands, screwdriver hanging loosely between his fingers, “I’m not critiquing.”

Bucky huffed, looking away. “Sorry. I’m just touchy about it, I guess. Lots of holidays coming up and I’m, uh, not sure how to handle it.”

“What’s to handle? It’s a bunch of parties and presents. Kids love that.”

“Other kids, sure. Nat’s not really good at ‘fun’ though. Am I supposed to be teaching her our traditions so she gets used to them, or should I be honouring hers so she feels more at home?”

“Why not both? No reason you can’t raise her to be multi-cultural.”

Bucky half-shrugged. “I guess. I’m not super confident I know the Russian holidays well enough for that. HYDRA didn’t exactly invite me to the annual Christmas party.”

“Their loss, huh?” he smirked.

“Oh yeah. I’m the king of cuttin’ loose,” he snorted, “What about Bruce? He excited for the party?”

“I think so, in that shy way he gets excited about things. We finished his costume yesterday.”

“Yeah?” Bucky arched a brow.

Tony put down his tools and stood, walking around the bench to a child-sized shape covered in a dust sheet. He pulled it off to reveal a scaled-down but accurate version of the Iron Man suit with its faceplate up.

The other man let out a low whistle, coming for a closer look. “That’s impressive, Stark. You’ve recruited a minion.”

“Hey, it was Bruce’s idea.” Tony scratched his neck, aware he was blushing.

Bucky smiled. “Yeah? That’s cute.”

“We worked on it together. Stripped out the weapons, made the pieces thinner so they won’t be as heavy. The faceplate’s welded open like that so I can keep an eye on him. We put in some blue lights for the arc reactor, the repulsors and the eyes. It’s cool.”

“And hey, if someone attacks the party, he’s fully armoured.” The former soldier joked.

Tony beamed. “The thought had crossed my mind.”

“I’ll tell Nat Bruce is dressing up. She might be more enthusiastic.”

“Need me to knock up a tiny Winter Soldier arm for her?”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “I don’t think so.”

 

The Tower function room had been turned in a veritable paradise of candy and spooky cobwebs, huge cardboard cutouts creating a haunted forest along one wall, and speakers pumping out the Monster Mash every hour on the hour. The kids had separated themselves based on age group: the teenagers slunk around on the fringes of the dance floor, not wanting to look too eager, while the younger children danced or played and the littlest ones watched from their parents’ laps.

Tony swept his gaze across the room from behind the safety of his mask, until he spotted Bruce by the buffet table. The boy seemed to be having fun; he was smiling and talking to Natasha – who could not have been any more adorable in her Dorothy outfit, a stuffed Toto under her am. Bucky lurked nearby watchfully, his cheerful makeup only making his frown more terrifying under the ragged straw hat. A tall blond in a Dodgers uniform and catcher’s mitt walked over and leaned against the table next to Tony.

“Who are you supposed to be?” Steve frowned.

“The Dread Pirate Roberts! Princess Bride?” Tony scoffed as the captain shook his head, “We need to get you caught up on your classic ‘80s films, Rogers.”

“I thought we were doing Cronenberg next.”

“We will, but Bruce and Nat can’t sit in on those.”

Lando Calrissian came up behind Tony and clapped him on the shoulder. “I like the way you throw a party, Stark.”

“This is nothin’, Wilson. You should hang around after the kids go home. It’s gonna get wild.”

“Oh yeah?” Sam grinned, “I thought those days were behind you. You’re supposed to be respectable now.”

Tony scoffed. “Give me some credit. I’m not saying _I’ll_ be dancing with scantily-clad ladies. Your buddy Steve, on the other hand - the Ironettes love him.”

Sam laughed and Steve made a face. “What? I get along with ‘em, that’s all. They remind me of the girls I used to perform with.”

“You don’t have to play coy for us, big guy. You can admit they’re gorgeous – we promise not to tell.” Tony snickered.

“Speaking of gorgeous…” Sam quirked a brow.

Tony looked up as a woman in a tight blouse and pencil skirt walked towards them. She wore a brown wig and had a pen and notepad in her hand, and a small Superman pendant around her neck.

The airman jumped out of his seat, offering her a hand. “Well hi there. Let me guess - Lois Lane?”

“Christine Everhart, actually,” Tony gave a wry smile, “I don’t remember seeing your name on the guest list.”

“Pepper invited me.” She smirked at him.

“You two know each other?” Sam looked between them.

“Miss Everhart is a reporter for Vanity Fair. We’re acquainted.” The billionaire cleared his throat.

“I actually came over to talk to Steve – if you don’t mind, Captain Rogers?”

 

He gave her his best PR smile. “Sure.”

“I can’t help but notice that Hulk and Black Widow have been absent from your recent missions. Nobody’s seen them in almost six months. Can I get a comment about their sudden disappearance?”

Tony inwardly cringed, but to Steve’s credit his smile never wavered. “We’ve had some roster changes, it’s true. Some of our former members wanted to follow their own pursuits rather than continue with the team. But we’ve managed to find amazing replacements.”

He gave Sam an affectionate punch on the arm that rocked the other man back on his heels.

“Yes,” Christine gave a practiced smile, “Falcon, I had some questions for the newest Avenger, if you’ve got a moment?”

He grinned, offering his arm. “I think I can spare a couple. Let’s find somewhere to sit.”

He led her towards an empty table at the quieter end of the room, Tony shaking his head as he watched them go.

“Good luck, Wilson.”

“I thought Christine Everhart was the one who told you The Ten Rings were using Stark products?” Steve frowned.

“So?”

“Doesn’t that make her an ally? Pepper seems to think so, if she invited her.”

“Reporters are always neutral, Rogers, no matter how well you get along. As well-meaning as Miss Everhart can be, I don’t necessarily love seeing her. You handled her question like a champ.”

The blond shrugged. “Fury briefed us on a response if it came up.”

“How thoughtful.” Tony snorted.

“Hey, we’re lucky it was Nat and Bruce. If you or I had been hit by the magical whammy, it would be a PR nightmare. There would be no way to explain that.”

“I’m just glad it wasn’t Thor – can you imagine Daddy Odin’s tantrum if his pride and joy was back in diapers? Or the Asgardian equivalent.”

“Maybe he’d have been more motivated to reverse the spell.” The captain grumbled.

Tony glanced at Bruce and Nat, the pair holding hands as sugar-riddled party guests chattered loudly around them. She was standing on tiptoe to say something in his ear, and the boy giggled.

“Even if he found a way to fix them, I don’t think I want the old versions back.”

“What? How can you say that?”

“Look at them, Steve. They’re happy. You think either of them ever had a chance to dress up and go to a party and just have fun? Would you wanna take this away from them?”

“I’d want them to have a choice.” He said, though he didn’t sound very sure.

“They don’t remember their old lives, so how could they make an educated decision? There are plenty of things I miss about Bruce, but I’d rather give him a second shot at life than make him into that miserable guy again.”

The super soldier shrugged. “I guess you’ve got a point.”

“What about you? If Mr Mojo had zapped your friend Bucky, would you want him changed back?”

“Honestly, I think he’d be a thousand times better off. No painful memories, no more worrying about HYDRA coming for him, no Depression and no war. He’d have another chance to just be himself, not what anyone made him.”

“Plus how adorable would it be – Captain America, war hero and father?” Tony snickered, “You’d be beating women back with those ham-sized fists.”

Steve scowled at him.

“In the most gentlemanly way possible, of course.”

*****

“What do you think?” Tony set a tablet on top of Pepper’s empty plate.

She scanned the image, raising a brow. “I think it’s Madison Square Garden.”

“For Bruce’s birthday.”

She pushed her chair back so she could face him. “Oh no, Tony. That is way too much.”

“Why? Think how much fun it would be – we could fill it with kids from his school and hire some great acts to perform. There’s room for bouncy castles and slides and stuff, maybe a giant teddy bear if certain people are over their prejudices against that sort of thing.”

Pepper grabbed his hand. “Tony, Bruce doesn’t want that. He hates strangers giving him attention.”

“He had fun at the Halloween party.” Tony pouted.

“He was literally wearing a suit of armour. He couldn’t have felt more secure unless you had Happy following him around.”

The genius flopped into a chair next to her, frowning. “I want him to have a good birthday.”

“Then ask him what he’d like to do.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“Not everybody likes surprises, Tony. Especially people with traumatic backgrounds.”

He grimaced. “Yeah. Probably should have considered that.”

“Why don’t we take him somewhere? Just the three of us. We can still have a dinner with the team or maybe his school friends, but it would be a lot more meaningful if it was just the family.”

Tony smiled. “The family. I like that. Okay, where should we go? I could hire Disneyland.”

“Let’s shelve the crazy extravagance, hmm? Where would Bruce like to go?”

Tony looked thoughtful for a minute before rubbing his hands together. “Ooh! I know just the person to ask.”

“Is it Bruce?” Pepper bit back a laugh.

“No.”

“Tonyyy…”

“Trust me, Pep. I got this.”

 

Tony walked into their suite and immediately looked for the aircon remote. “Welcome to Hawai’i, kiddo – the only place it’s still 80 degrees in December.”

Bruce peered around him, taking in the clean white linen upholstery and curtains, the long balcony overlooking the sea, and the colourful seashell artwork. “It’s beautiful.”

Pepper opened the balcony doors with a contented sigh. “I can’t tell you how ready I am for this holiday.”

“We’re not just here to laze by the pool, Pep. There is very serious science to be done.” Tony gave her an accusing look as the hotel staff carried their luggage into the bedroom.

“The Mauna Kea Observatory has the world’s largest range of astronomical equipment,” Bruce beamed at her, “With more telescopes than any other mountain observatory.”

“Jane specifically recommended it, so it must be good.” Tony added.

“We’re gonna see if we can spot the existence of the other realms!” the boy bounced on the spot. Tony coughed to cover a giggle as he imagined the full-size Bruce doing the same over some new breakthrough in the lab.

“That sounds really important.” Pepper nodded gravely.

“Well, there are lots of people already looking for them, now we know they’re really there. But I’d like to try.”

“I’m sure that even if you can’t see any, there will be lots of other cool galaxies and nebulas to check out.”

Tony lolled across the couch, tapping his foot on the corner of the coffee table. “Well there’s no stargazing until after dark. I’m gonna order some room service and catch up on some reading. You hungry, bud?”

“A bit.”

“Cool, I’ll have them bring up some fries or somethin’.”

“I think I’ll make the most of the weather and take a walk by the beach,” Pepper said, “Would either of you like to come?”

“Maybe tomorrow?” Bruce sat on the floor next to Tony.

“Sure.”

The two scientists scrolled through the room service menu while Pepper changed into her beach gear, the redhead giving them both a kiss on the head on her way past.

“Bye Pepper!” Bruce waved.

“I’ll see you boys later, okay? Be good.”

“We’re always good.” Tony huffed.

She smiled fondly. “I can pretend that’s true.”

He scoffed again as the door closed, and they finished ordering in companionable silence.

“Do you wanna watch something?”

“I have a book to finish.” Bruce said.

“Okay,” Tony moved over, “Make yourself comfy then.”

 

He got his novel and squished himself into the cushions next to the billionaire, who pulled up his own text on a Starkpad. They read quietly as the waves crashed against the shore under their window, the only other sound the occasional crisp turn of a page.

“Tony?”

“Hmm?” he looked up, “Is the food here?”

“No.”

“Oh. What’s up?”

“Can I ask you a question?” Bruce screwed up his brow nervously.

Tony put the tablet down and turned to face him. “Go ahead.”

“Are you and Pepper going to get married?”

His brows shot up into his hairline. Tony rubbed a hand over his neck to hide his face as he considered his answer.

“Probably, sport. Why do you ask?”

“Well, usually people are married when they have kids. But you didn’t know you were going to adopt me; the spell just happened and I got small, and you were nice enough to let me stay.”

“We wanted you to stay, buddy. Pep and I love you.”

“But you didn’t get to choose the timing,” he said insistently, “You hadn’t talked about it, or decided you wanted kids yet.”

“I’m not really a long-term plan-making guy. I like to take life as it comes – makes it more interesting. Neither of us are having second thoughts, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I like living with you, Tony,” Bruce tucked his hands between his legs, “And Pepper. But what happens if you break up?”

Tony felt like the breath had been sucked out of his lungs. His mouth felt dry and stiff, like his jaw needed oiling. He half expected it to squeak.

“That’s what’s worrying you?”

“I don’t want things to change.” Bruce said tearfully.

Tony pulled the boy into his lap, tilting his chin so he could wipe away the moisture escaping down one cheek. “Listen, I’m not an expert on relationships, and I can’t see the future, but I promise everything between me and Pep is great. And if something did happen and we didn’t want to be together anymore, you would be fine, bud. You’d still live at the Tower and go to Trinity, and you’d still get to see Pep – probably just as much as you do now. No matter what happens with us, it won’t change how we feel about you.”

Bruce sniffed. The inventor fumbled around for a tissue and offered it to him, watching the boy scrub at his nose.

“We’re a family, pal. It might not be the traditional kind, but it’s real. We care about each other. Even if Pep and I don’t work out, we’d still be friends. So don’t stress, okay?”

He nodded weakly, and Tony ruffled his curls with a smile. There was a knock at the suite door and the genius whooped.

“Alright! Who’s ready for room service?”

 

Pepper walked out onto the balcony, a mojito in each hand. She offered one to Tony where he leant on the rail.

“Bruce asleep?”

She nodded. “Out like a light, unless he’s pretending. He was pretty excited.”

“It’s late,” the engineer shrugged, “He’s only got so much energy, and he used a whole bunch on the telescopes.”

He took a sip of his drink. The breeze was still balmy, even though it was after midnight, and the stars stood out so much brighter than they did in the city.

“He asked me something earlier that made me think.”

“Yeah?” Pepper rested her head on his shoulder, “What’s that?”

“He wanted to know if we were getting married.”

She straightened with a frown that was only just visible in the half-light. “Why?”

“He was worried that we might break up, and things would be different.”

“You told him it wouldn’t change how I feel about him, right?”

“Of course. But still, it made me think. Why don’t we get married?”

“What?”

“I’m not an Avenger anymore. My life is more stable than it’s ever been. I’m spending lots of time at home, with you and Bruce. I love you, and I don’t wanna be without you. Why don’t we just go for it?”

“Tony,” she cupped his cheek in her palm, “I’d still be around, even if we didn’t work out. You don’t have to jump into this for Bruce’s sake, or because you’re afraid.”

“I’m not, Pep,” he took her drink, placing both glasses on a side table so he could hold her hands, “It took me my whole life to figure out the man I wanted to be, and I only got there because of you. You make me so much better. I’m not asking for Bruce, or because I’m worried you’ll leave someday. I’m asking cos you’re my best friend, and I want to wake up with you every day, and the whole damn world should know it.”

“Really?” she bit her lip.

The inventor grinned. “Yeah. Hell, we could do it this weekend – get hitched on some gorgeous beach with no one around, spend a couple of days with Bruce, and skip the whole engagement drama.”

“You know, I wouldn’t mind skipping a little drama for once.” Pepper giggled.

Tony squeezed her hands. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes, Tony. It’s absolutely a yes.”


	4. Epilogue

Tony glanced at Bruce. “You ready for this?”

The lanky teenager gave a smug grin. “Don’t be too embarrassed when I beat you, Dad.”

“Keep dreamin’, junior.”

“I dunno, feels like it could be my year.”

“Kick his butt, Bruce!” Natasha yelled.

“Good luck honey!” Pepper waved from the top of the observation platform.

“Thanks Pep.”

“I was talking to Bruce, actually.”

Rhodey raised a chequered flag. “Helmets on, gentlemen.”

Tony hurried to buckle on his safety gear, eyeing Bruce’s car. The boy had put some serious work into the design this year – it was narrow, the front sharp enough to slice through an iceberg, tapering out to a modest fin at the back. It was a bright sky blue, the details chrome, with _‘Rocket Stark’_ printed down one side in neat cursive.

By contrast, Tony’s looked like a giant hypodermic needle covered in flashing blue lights like the arc reactor. He didn’t really do subtle.

“On your marks…” Rhodey said.

Bruce revved the engine, winking at Tony, and the inventor laughed.

“Get set…”

“Last chance to bow out gracefully!” he yelled.

Bruce shook his head. “No way. See you at the finish line!”

“Go!”

Tony hit the accelerator, flying across the tarmac with every scrap of horsepower he had. Bruce was a blue blur at the edge of his vision, the nose of his car level with Tony’s mirrors. They neared the first turn and the billionaire eased off on the gas.

Bruce didn’t. A large silver panel flicked out from his chassis on the same side as the turn, the car abruptly jerking straight as the force of the wind resistance and his forward momentum cancelled each other enough to make the corner without losing speed.

Tony laughed, pushing the engine harder as Bruce streaked ahead. The younger man beat him to the next corner, sail extending again to slingshot him around, and then they were flashing towards the finish line.

“Come on Bruce!”

“Team Stark!”

Tony stepped on it and closed the gap, his bumper even with Bruce’s rear wheel, and then they were crossing the line and it was over.

Tony braked carefully, coming to a stop near the stands as Bruce pulled in next to him. The boy clambered out, removing his helmet with a huge grin. Tony chuckled, offering him a hand.

“Well done, kiddo. I like the turning mod.”

“I got the idea watching a documentary about fish.”

“No shit? See, this is why you’re the smart one in the family. Thinking outside the box.”

He slung his arm around Bruce’s neck and kissed his forehead as the others rushed over. The teenager blushed and ducked his head, but he hugged Tony back.

“Congratulations, sweetheart!” Pepper kissed his cheek, “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks Mum. It was close though.”

“Nonsense,” Natasha smirked, “You destroyed him.”

Rhodey beamed at his friend. “Bad luck, Tony.”

“And so the student becomes the master,” he gave an exaggerated sigh, “It’s alright. I’m already thinking about next year.”


End file.
